1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a separable bottom end assembly adapted to be attached to bottom end portions of a pair of fastener stringers of slide faster for separably connecting the two fastener stringers with one another.
2. Description of the Related Art
A typical conventional type of separable bottom end assembly for a slide fastener comprises a socket member attached to the bottom end portion of one fastener stringer and having a first pin member integral with the socket member, and a second pin member attached to the bottom end portion of the other fastener stringer. For connecting the separated fastener stringers with one another, with a slider kept in contact with the socket member, the second pin member is inserted deeply into the socket member through the slider, whereupon the slider is moved upwardly with the second pin member kept in this inserted position. During that time, the slider must be pulled upwardly away from the socket member by one hand of the user, while the socket member and the second pin member must be held in a coupled status by the other hand. For separating the interconnected fastener stringers from one another, the second pin member must be removed from the socket member by one hand, with the slider held in contact with the socket member by the other hand. It is therefore difficult for a little child, an old person or a handicapped person to perform this two-hand operation.
A solution for the foregoing problem is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 7845/1970. In the arrangement of this Japanese publication, the pull tab has a small projection, and the socket member has a hole in which the projection is engageable to hold the slider against the socket member in such a manner that the groove of the slider is aligned with the groove of the socket.
With this prior art, since the slider and the socket member are coupled with one another by the projection-and-hole connection, the second pin member can be inserted into the socket member through the slider only by one hand. However, at the beginning of closing the slide fastener by pulling the slider upwardly, after the second pin member is inserted, to close the slide fastener, the second pin member would often be lifted and removed from the socket member in response to the upward movement of the slider. Particularly, in the case of a jumper, since pulling forces act on the second pin member and the socket member in such a manner that these two members are moved away from each other, the second pin member inserted in the socket member would be lifted from the socket member at the beginning of closing operation of the slider. Therefore, smooth closing of the slide fastener cannot always be guaranteed.